Conflict Resolution in Teams
Interactive scenario exploring the Thomas-Kilmann conflict modes through a realistic team disagreement with branching outcomes.
Who this is for
Managers and team leads who need to mediate disputes between members of their own team
Learners will be able to
- Identify the five Thomas-Kilmann conflict modes and judge which is appropriate for a given situation
- Plan a structured, informal mediation between two colleagues in dispute
- Use active listening techniques — paraphrasing, labelling emotion, summarising — to de-escalate a tense exchange
- Facilitate a joint conversation that moves from positions to underlying interests and common ground
- Recognise when a conflict has outgrown informal resolution and should move to HR or a formal grievance process
Template prompt
“Create a scenario-based module on resolving workplace conflict between two team members who disagree on project priorities. Cover Thomas-Kilmann conflict modes, active listening, mediation steps, and de-escalation techniques. Include branching decisions.”
This prompt is fully editable. Customise it to match your audience, regulations, and learning objectives before generating.
What the 8 sections cover
- 1
The stand-off: Alex and Sam disagree on priorities
Scene-setting context panel: two capable team members locked in a dispute over project priorities that is starting to affect the wider team.
- 2
Five ways people handle conflict
Visual Thomas-Kilmann grid plotting assertiveness against cooperativeness, with flashcards for competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding and accommodating.
- 3
Which mode is in play?
Scored matching check: pair observed behaviours from the scenario with the conflict mode they demonstrate, with rationale on each answer.
- 4
Your first move as mediator
Branching decision — speak to each person separately first, call a joint meeting straight away, or wait and see — with consequence feedback on how the dispute evolves.
- 5
Active listening under pressure
Practise choosing paraphrases and emotion labels in response to Alex's frustrated account, with feedback on which responses de-escalate and which inflame.
- 6
Running the joint conversation
Step through the informal mediation structure: setting ground rules, giving each side uninterrupted time, and steering from positions to interests.
- 7
When it flares up
Branching decision handling a raised-voice moment mid-meeting — pause, redirect, or adjourn — showing how each choice affects the outcome.
- 8
Agreement, follow-up and escalation triggers
Scored recap on the mediation steps and TKI modes, plus a clear checklist of signs the conflict needs HR involvement or the formal grievance route.
Structure is representative — the generator adapts sections to your edited prompt and passes every package through interactivity and visual-density quality gates.
See a real generated example
Sprint Review Reset: A Branching Feedback Scenario for First-Time Managers was generated with a prompt like this one — preview every section live and download the SCORM package.
Preview the live exampleTopics covered
Make it yours
- Rewrite the dispute in the prompt to mirror a real tension in your organisation — for example clinical versus administrative priorities, or sales versus delivery.
- Upload your grievance or dignity-at-work policy so the escalation section names your actual routes and contacts.
- Ask for a shorter, 5-section version focused only on the joint-meeting stage if your managers have already covered TKI theory elsewhere.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Thomas-Kilmann conflict model?
The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) describes five ways people respond to conflict — competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding and accommodating — plotted against two axes: assertiveness and cooperativeness. No mode is inherently wrong; the skill is matching the mode to the situation. This scenario has learners diagnose which modes Alex and Sam are using before choosing how to intervene.
When should a manager escalate a team conflict to HR?
Escalate when the dispute involves allegations of bullying, harassment or discrimination, when informal resolution has been attempted and failed, or when either person raises a formal grievance. The Acas Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures encourages resolving issues informally where possible, but employment tribunals can adjust compensation by up to 25% where an employer unreasonably fails to follow the Code — so managers need to know where the informal route ends.
Does completing this count as formal mediation training?
No. This is awareness-level training that equips managers to handle everyday team disputes informally. Formal workplace mediation is a distinct skill usually gained through accredited routes such as the Acas Certificate in Internal Workplace Mediation or training from providers registered with the Civil Mediation Council. The scenario makes that boundary explicit so managers do not overreach.
Do all participants see the same story?
The scenario branches, so participants who make different choices see different consequences and endings before converging on the debrief. That makes it useful for team discussion afterwards — managers can compare which paths they took and why. Scores from the knowledge checks are tracked per participant whether you deliver it via SCORM or a hosted session link.
Ready to make it yours?
Customise the prompt, generate a draft, then review the content and SCORM package before delivery.
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